Printer Friendly Version - Hand Boys’ Hoops Not Pumping the Breaks on Fast Season Start

Small forward Kyle Hoffman is a senior co-captain in his third stint as a starter for the Tigers boys’ basketball squad. He is looking to lead Hand’s charge deep into the SCC and Division II State Tournaments. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Source Photo courtesy of Wesley Bunnell

Senior Tyler Maynard has been a steady sixth man off the bench as a shooting guard for the Hand boys’ basketball squad, which is off to an 8-3 start this winter. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Source

The Hand boys’ basketball team stormed out of the starting gates in the opening weeks of its campaign. Yet for the Tigers, they are affixed on not displaying any signs of slowing down, complacency, or coasting on prior triumphs.

A year ago, the Tigers finished 12-8 on the regular season grind. Hand earned the 19th seed for the Division II State Tournament. After scoring a road upset in the first round over No. 14 Newtown by a 53-37 decision, the Tigers fell in the next round, 62-57, to third-ranked Fairfield Warde.

Additionally, Hand qualified for the SCC Tournament as the No. 9 seed. It first defeated rival and No. 8 Guilford 70-58, prior to a 74-64 quarterfinal loss to top-ranked and eventual champion Notre Dame-West Haven. This yielded the Tigers a 14-10 overall record.

This winter, Hand has now secured another tandem of postseason berths to its league and state brackets, with an 8-3 record. Head Coach Jim Economopoulos noted that his club, also a reigning division champion, is looking to delve a little deeper into the playoff landscape this season, while maintaining a growth mindset.

“The team is trying to repeat as SCC Oronoque Division Champions, and compete for SCC and Division II Championships,” said Economopoulos. “As a group, we are just trying to improve each day. Even with our current record, we feel like we have not played our best basketball yet. We are working to come together as a team, and reach our full potential.”

Two-time All-SCC Team honoree Kyle Hoffman (averaging around 12 points per game) has returned for his third campaign as a starter as one of Hand’s senior captains, occupying the small forward position on the court. Joining him as part of the captain’s log is classmate and shooting guard Aidan Doyle–posting averages of nine points, six rebounds, and 3.5 steals per contest this winter.

“Kyle is a phenomenal athlete that can score from all three levels. He utilizes his athleticism to get up and down the floor, and leads our team in transition scoring,” said Economopoulos. “Aidan is probably the toughest guy on the team, despite being one of the smallest. He is our best defender, and is always tasked with guarding the other team's best player. He is constantly laying his body on the line for the betterment of the team.”

Also in the senior class resides Tyler Maynard as another shooting guard in a strong reserve role, who has shown a hot hand as the squad’s leading three-point shooter. Junior power forward Sam Markovitz is crafting a mean 10 points and seven boards a night, posting a 17-point, seven-rebound, six-steal performance in a victory over Amity on Jan. 9.

“Sam is our best inside presence. He rebounds, and he guards the other team's biggest player. He is tough and has a nose for the ball. He has been key to our early season success, despite only a short preseason, as he was a key contributor to the football team's state championship,” Economopoulos said. “Tyler is our first player off the bench. We look to him for instant offense and a spark off the bench.”

Sophomore sparks have come from power forward Elijah Avery-Turner, notching an All-SCC Team berth as a freshman, and currently averaging 15 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game. Another stellar sophomore has been Thomas McCullough (eight points, five assists, two steals per matchup) at the point.

“Elijah is constantly facing double teams and physical defense, but he has remained consistent all season long. He is unselfish and is one of the team leaders even though he is only a sophomore,” said Economopoulos. “Thomas played limited varsity minutes last year as a freshman, but he has stepped up to the starting point guard role this year as a sophomore. He is our best ball handler, and leads the team in assists. He has a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and has been a steady presence handling the ball for us.”

As the Tigers have a healthy and eclectic blend of seasoned competitors and young upstart competitors, they are always aiming to develop more sources of guidance from within the group. Economopoulous added that the boys certainly enjoy the palpable energy from the program, while looking to hit peak performance.

“We have a mix of young talent and veterans with experience on the varsity level. We are trying to develop leadership from within the team,” said Economopoulos. “As the year progresses, we are looking for that leadership to pay dividends, with more wins and more quality team performances. We have an unselfish group that enjoys playing and being around each other. We need to take advantage of that and build off of that to reach our full potential.”

The Tigers’ 2023-2024 roster is comprised of seniors Maynard, Doyle, Taijiro Nuzzi, Hoffman, Jack Tompkins, Chase Docker; juniors Ernesto Barrosa, Aaron Alia, Sam Markovitz, Orion Brueckner, Michael Mazzola; sophomores of Liam Scott, Avery-Turner, Jonas Markovitz, McCullough, Drew Catala, Stone Leckey, Clay Cosgriff, Tyler Wohlgemuth, Emmett Merschman, Andrew Yahara, Timothy O'Malley; plus freshmen Ezekiel Williams, Giovanni Cocuzzo, Vladimir Coric III, Brendan Keating, Nikos Mastoras, Marcus Miedzinski, Lincoln Miller, William Riggio, William Shay, and Eli Suprenant.

Economopoulos is now in his eighth season as Hand’s bench boss. His assistant coaches include JV Coach Joseph Lasko (sixth campaign), Freshman Coach Chris Bernucca (third season), plus volunteer assistants Mike Sweeney (eighth season), and now two-year veteran Griffin Formanski.